ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench on Monday remarked that the situation in Murreewould worsen in the next five years if the construction of illegal buildings does not stop.
The LHC resumed hearing of the case on Murree disaster which took the lives of 22 tourists recently.
Read more: Tourists stranded in Murree once again amid heavy snowfall
The court ordered to submit a detailed report of illegal buildings and encroachments in the hill station and sought information on the mechanism of buying and selling land in Murree as well.
The LHC Rawalpindi bench remarked that there is a need to educate the public on tourism in the northern areas. “Use media and keep people updated.”
The LHC has directed the Punjab tourism secretary to visit all the tourist destinations in the province and overview them.“Go to Kotli Sattian. The city is flooding with trash”.
The court also ordered to submit a copy of the Punjab tourism act at the next hearing.
Later the court adjourned the hearing till February 7.
A group of citizens filed a petition stating that innocent people lost their lives due to the indifference of the authorities.
“There was no traffic or any other plan despite a weather forecast.”
In their petition, they said that hotel owners in Murree charge exorbitant prices despite a blizzard.
Consequently, the court had issued notices to the director of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority and the commissioner and deputy commissioner of Rawalpindi.
In a separate petition filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Justice Athar Minallah had declared the National Disaster Management Authority responsible for the tragedy.
Read more: LHC bars cutting of trees, razing of hills in-and-around Murree
The IHC had ruled that if another tragedy, like the one in Murree, takes place, the National Disaster Management Commission will be responsible for it.
